Sunday August 13, 2017

Notes from Sunday's service.  (Thanks, Jean,  😀)

Dr. Spencer Barclay-Something to Think About

Theme: We must have great faith and trust God for physical and spiritual healing.

 Mark 8:22-26

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”

This is a fascinating passage to look at. Someone took the blind man to Jesus. He did not come by himself, someone in great mercy stopped and took the time to take him. In this passage we think of the physical eyes and also the eyes of the heart and our understanding of Christ. People often wonder why bad things happen to themselves and in the world. We look at things through the physical and earthly sense, yet do not see clearly with our spiritual eyes. This man asked Christ to touch him, Christ did and he received his healing. Jesus took him by the hand and let him outside of the town. Christ touched him twice for a full healing, his vision was restored and he saw clearly.

 Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

 As a result of the lack of faith in the large cities, Christ took his miracles out side the city. As the people did not recognize and appreciate the small miracles he did in the cities. He did the big ones outside the city.

Roxann Spicer- Theme: Christ waits and is patient with us, even when we lack faith and doubt.

Matthew 14:22-33

 Peter stopped looking at the Lord and looked at his circumstances and began to sink----How human!

Would we be scared if we saw someone walking on the water?

Why did Peter stop trusting and give into fear, emotions and panic?

The disciples faced the wind and the waves as their ship was tossed about in a storm. Scripture says in the fourth watch of the night, which is the darkest hour just before dawn. Jesus came to the disciples by walking on the Sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were full of fear and cried out saying “It is a ghost”. Jesus told them not to be afraid as it was himself. Peter then said Lord if it be you, beckon me to come and join you on the water. Thus Jesus beckoned Peter to come. Peter got out of the ship and began walking on the water to meet Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind and storm he was afraid and began to sink, he called out to the Lord to save him and Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him.

Peter let his fear and emotions take over,  he took his eyes of Jesus and neglected his faith. Walking on the water, being outside the boat was being in the unknown for Peter. Jesus is always with us, even in the unknown. We have to keep using our faith, keep trusting and believing and not give into fear. Peter was seen in his humanity and Christ was seen in glory, power and might by the other disciples. That day the disciples had seen Jesus feed the five thousand, yet it was not till later that night when they saw him walk on the water, did they finally say “Truly You are the Son of God”and worshiped him in the ship. We people today, are often like the disciples, always looking for another sign, more proof to believe what Christ had told us along.